A blog about our road trips on Route 66, Lincoln Highway, St. Louis, New York, Michigan, etc. (we have been to 37 States, 13 more to visit), about my love of hockey (NHL), football (NFL), coming to America, growing up in Viet Nam, humor that ain't funny and still a lot of ramblings!

SUMMER TIME

Saturday, January 04, 2014

SATURDAY - BEFORE THE STORM

Here are a few more photos
from our cruising along Big Sur (Route 1).(Note:currently the Mustang is
under 6’ of snow!)

Saturday is usually my day
to run errands while Ralphie “playing” in his garage or in his workshop (in the
basement).After breakfast, I took off
and spent over three hours completing all the tasks: picking up/dropping off
dry cleaning, getting a full tank of gas for “Luc” my Mazda6, another trip to
the grocery store (it was crowded as everyone needed a few more last minute
“surviving” items), exchanging a shirt that did not fit (too tight – blaah) and
picking up a book I ordered last week that has become available.(QQ, I thought of you whenever I go to this
branch and remember your comment about audio books.)

I was extreme pleased to
see that the library was crowded.There
were many families with kids (getting ready for snow days).It touches me deeply whenever I see others
like me still going to the library, checking out “real” books.

We decided to go to 4:00
p.m. Mass and we were not the only “smart” faithful.We could not find a spot in
the parking lots and had to park “illegally”.We did not block anyone but we did park in an undesignated spot (in
other word, it was not really a parking space).There was no available seat, not even in the chapel and the cry room
(normally only people with crying little kids would be).There was no room to stand since people
already were lining up against the walls on both sides of the pews.

A friendly usher wanted to
be helpful but he pointed us to a space that would fit if we were able to
transform ourselves back to 1988 when we were skinny (back then I could sit on
my husband’s lap without breaking both of his legs).

With only a few spots that
are available for one person, and we did not want to sit in separate pews, my
husband sat at the end of the pew with half of his bottom in the aisle.We usually don’t leave until Father announces
that “Mass is ended.Go in peace to
serve the Lord and each other.”But
since our car is parked in an illegal spot, we had to leave right after
Communion.We noticed that there were parishioners
waiting to get in for the 5:30 p.m. Mass.I warmed my heart to know that we did not use the excuse of snow storm
and freezing weather not attending Sunday Mass but tried to fulfill our Holy
Obligation on Saturday evening.

A blog about a typical woman who is a hockey/football fanatic, loves the Detroit Red Wings and the New England Patriots, sharing stories about life in St. Louis, Missouri, about Route 66 and about New York - my American hometown, memories of growing up in Viet Nam, the journey from Viet Nam as boat people, living in the refugee camp, the early years in America and almost 30 years later, achieving the American Dream. Everyone has a story, and because we all do, when we hear each other's stories, we feel suddenly connected. Story is the great river that run through the human landscapes, and our individual stories are the little creeks that flow through us all to join the river at its source. It's really only when we tell our stories, we share the feelings that have shaped our lives. (101 Ways to have True Love in Your Life - Daphne Rose Kingma - Conari Press)